Sharewood Academy
by prettyinpinkgal
Summary: This is the story of a woman gone mad, of students that are hostages, and of royalty gone missing. There are no fairy godmothers that assist: Only four hundred students, a kidnapped boy, a headmistress, a special stone, and I, Alenamra.
1. Prologue

**Prettyinpinkgal: Hello! This is actually very slightly based on a nightmare I had. What's so weird is that I'm this happy-go-lucky girl and I'm writing a dark story like this. Figures (snorts). Well, I hope you all enjoy it! This is my first time trying to write something sort of scary, so please bare with me. :)  
**

**SHAREWOOD ACADEMY**

**PROLOGUE**

My tale is quite different to the famous fables of the world. I wasn't a princess hated by the queen.

I was not a girl left to be a servant to an evil stepmother and cruel stepsisters.

My tale is not of me turning into a princess...at least, it's not the main focus of my story.

This is the story about me: a girl who goes to an academy and must fight for her life. And not just to stay head of the class.

This is the story of a woman gone mad, of students that are hostages, and of royalty gone missing. There are no fairy godmothers that assist, no ogres that annialate, nor magic carpets to ride: Only four hundred students, a kidnapped boy, a headmistress, a special stone, and I, Alenamra.


	2. Chapter One

**Prettyinpinkgal: Thanks for the reviews so far! I'm sorry for the lack of updates, but hopefully this chapter will make up for it. :) **

**Disclaimer: "Sharewood Academy" is based slightly off of the movie "Game Over" or whatever the title is. I think watching that movie spurred on my nightmare.**

**SHAREWOOD ACADEMY  
**

**CHAPTER ONE**

I shall begin my tale with the classic line, "Once upon a time." I cannot rightly say that this occured in a kingdom far, far away, as I do not know how far away you are. Although to you, Reader, it may very well be far from where you are reading this.

Our country Minsole is a very powerful kingdom indeed. Minsole did not receive its high status by battling, but rather by its fine diplomacy. A war in Minsole is unheard of; the last war was the war that allowed Minsole to come into being. King Urah, our first ruler, had fought a hard battle to claim the land. That was one thousand years ago. Now, Minsole is a prospering nation with fine allies.

Although the king currently ruling is indeed very kind, not all of our people take after his example. Many merchants concern themselves only with their own greed. Oftentimes, they would make sure to pick the most beautiful bride they can find to make other merchants jealous. It was the same way with my father, Grenor. He picked my mother, Yolana, to be his bride. When she died in childbirth giving birth to my younger brother Frean, he used her death as an excuse to get a more beautiful wife. He chose Elea, a woman whose great beauty was the only thing great about her. Her wits were slow, and she only did what my father told her.

I was five at the time of my mother's death. While I wept for Mother, I took care of my brother. I tried remembering all the things Mother did for me, which helped me learn how to sew clothes and change his undergarments. When Elea came into our lives, only six months after Mother's death, I asked her to teach me how to cook and clean, how to sew more clothes and how to help people when they're sick. While she could teach me the household chores, knowing which medicine worked for which disease was not something she herself could do, let alone teach.

This came to haunt me when I was but seven. Father caught an awful illness from his travels, and I knew not how to cure him. I tried to fetch for the doctor (my stepmother had left the room as to not come down with the disease herself), but he was helping a woman in childbirth. Remembering my own mother, I had no wish to pull him away from his work, so I went back to Father. I tried to cool his burning forehead, to give him sips of water, to watch anxiously as he flailed about as if in water. The next day, when the apothecary came, he managed to give us medicine to cure him. Within a week, my father set out again to travel. Before he left, he leaned down and pat my head. "You were a brave girl, Alenamra." That was the first and last time I ever heard him show affection towards me.

* * *

After my father's brush with death, I visited the apothecary often. Seeing my interest in learning, he taught me which medicines should be used with which disease. One day, I asked, "What if I cannot get the medicine?" 

He smiled and then taught me about herbs and the like. I digested the information, but I was always hungry for more.

I should have been taught by my stepmother academics around this time, but she, never being schooled herself, told me to ask Mistress Worlan. Mistress Worlan was two and seventy and I soon ceased my visits altogether, claiming she was an old biddy. "Mistress Worlan gets her B's and D's mixed up all the time!" I explained passionately to Elea. She boxed my ears, although not too hard, and told me to respect my elders.

She commanded me to go to Mistress Worlan, but I secretly never attended. In its stead, I would visit the apothecary. He would hand me books and taught me how to read and write. He taught mathematics, with problems such as, "If I have two patients, and one more comes to me, how many total patients do I have?" He laughed when he watched me work with such grave seriousness, even when he would make silly word problems. He would give me a few pieces of candy once a week for my work, which I usually shared with my brother.

"You're smart," said Frean one day as he sucked on his candy, taking no notice to the drool dribbling from his mouth.

I laughed and wiped his mouth with my handkerchief. "I wish I were."

"You are," Frean replied. "When I'm bigger, will you teach me?"

I smiled at him. "Of course, Frean." I did not mention that he would go to a school for boys so that he would be an educated merchant like our father, not be taught by me.Being only four, he would be very upset to think of leaving me. It would be better if he didn't know at the moment.

When we arrived home that day, a servant opened the door, looking at Frean and me with saddened eyes. "Your stepmother would like to have a word with you both," she said quietly.

My stomach became tangled into a knot of nervousness, and Frean spoke my fears. "Are we in trouble?"

"No, no, sweet! Your—well, the mistress will speak to you about it. Run along, now," she said, nudging us into our mansion.

Our home was very large, even for a merchant's home. Silver chandeliers dangled from the ceiling in every room, even in the servants' quarters. My home had a warm, homey feeling thanks to Elea. She was an excellent decorator, if nothing else. 

Please don't misunderstand; I always liked my stepmother. However, although she seemed to like Frean and I well enough, she wasn't what you would define as "motherly". She was more like an older sister, in a way.

My stepmother was on a chair in her apartments. She had her head in her hands. When she saw the two of us standing awkwardly by the door, she waved her hand for us to come in, and the servant shut the door.

"Hello, my dears," she said in a near-whisper, embracing us. "Come, come. Have a seat." She ushered us to the soft bed, sitting between us. "I'm afraid I have some terrible news."

My breath caught in my chest. Father, I thought. Father must be in some type of trouble.

"Your father...had an accident. He's...with your mother now."

I could hear Frean ask innocently, "Will they be coming back?"

And I could hear Elea reply in a choking sort of voice, "No, but we shall see them again one day."

I then felt her arms wrap around me tightly, and I realized I was crying.

* * *

Elea began learning how to be a seamstress in order to support our broken little family. I tried to work at odd jobs here and there, but it is difficult for a small girl to find an occupation. I tried begging the apothecary to let me be an apprentice, or at least help him in some small way, but he regretfully told me that girls of my status aren't supposed to work. I defied him, telling him stubbornly that I wasn't exactly like other girls who were my so-called equals. Still, he turned me down, explaining, "I'll get in trouble if I let a little girl work here."

So I was forced to give up my search for a job. If my friend would not give me a job, who would? 

Slowly, I began noticing that various objects around my home were disappearing. It wasn't until I saw Elea one day selling a vase that I knew we were growing poor. Her income alone was not enough to sustain our vast estate. In order to keep from poverty, we would have to sell any unnecessary items.

Over the next few years, things continued to grow worse and worse. We were forced to move to a smaller house, and all the servants except for Frean's nurse stayed. Eventually, even Nurse was let go, once Frean was old enough. It was a dreadful day, and for the first time, I acknowledged the fact that I would never be able to go back to my old life.

I had continued my lessons with the apothecary, until I knew ever herb, medicine, ailment, etc. The apothecary, not precisely the most educated man except when it comes to medicines, was unable to teach me much once I passed what we deemed would be equal to eighth grade. 

Reader, you may perhaps be wondering why I had not been sent to a school for young ladies when my father was alive. This is due to the fact that my father, when it came to education, was rather a cheapskate. He could have at least employed a governess, but he thought it was a waste of money. Thus, he left the education department to my stepmother, who then left it to Mistress Worlan, one of the world's biggest imbicile, which I have told you before. 

But I digress.

Meanwhile, during the latter half of my fifteenth year, news approached our ears of the disappearance of the prince of our fair kingdom. Prince Valor, barely two years older than I, had been returning from the neighboring kingdom and ally Sanim. With the recent ailment of our king, he had traveled on his own, save a few dozen guards and a handful of advisors. On his way back, the prince had excused himself for a moment to be by himself. The guards granted him a minute, nothing more. However, when they sought him out again, he was gone.

No one knew of any enemies who could have done such a thing. The party had searched high and low to find some sign of the prince, but to no avail. They had been forced to return to the capital city by themselves to get a larger search party.

This whole affair, while troubling, had nothing to do with me. However, it was a bit of fascinating gossip. It wasn't every day that the eldest son of the king vanished. Of course, I'm not heartless; I was concerned for him and hoped he would be in good health and safe, but I had never even seen the king or his sons, so it was almost as if I was hearing a story from a book, not an actual fact.

Besides, I had other things to think about. When I was fourteen, my little brother had been sent to school. Some friends who had stayed with us even in our dark times had gotten enough money together to pay for his tuition. I admit, I was a bit envious that my brother was allowed to go to school, but I was more heartbroken to be seperated from him than anything. "I'm scared, Namra," he whimpered as he hugged me tightly. He was already nine years of age, but he still used his childhood pet name for me.

"I know," I whispered back, "but you'll be fine. You're bright, and I've already taught you much of the basics. And you'll be with many other boys your age."

"But I want to stay and be with you and Elea."

I felt a lump in my throat, and I struggled to swallow it. "I know," I repeated. "I love you, Frean."

"I love you, too, Namra." He then went to hug our stepmother, who was having as hard as I letting go of our little Frean. 

And then he was gone.

My family shrunk again, this time including only Elea and myself. Frean's letters came but once a quarter of the year. He seemed to have many friends, something I was relieved to hear. He had always followed me and played with me, never wanting to play with the other boys his age. He was such a quiet little thing, he was much too shy to even approach the other little boys in our town. Hearing that, for once, he was befriending other children his age outside of our family was a great joy to me, as it was one of the things I was the most concerned about when we sent Frean off to school.

As I am a woman, it was not a priority to send me to school. My prospects of finding a husband was greatly decreased from how they were before my father's death, and marriage was the most important thing for a young woman. It appeared that I would end up an old maid, something that didn't completely devastate me, but was still a slight disappointment all the same. 

"Elea," I said one day when I was sewing with her. I had joined her seamstress business, and we were now getting more money. "Do you think..." I trailed off and flushed, feeling I was acting a bit selfishly.

"Do I think what, Alenamra?"

"Well, do you think it's possible that I may go to a school for girls someday? Maybe not now, but maybe next year?"

She sighed, setting down the dress she was working on. "I wish I could send you, sweet. But we don't have the money. And we can't just ask the neighbors again."

"Oh, I wouldn't ask the neighbors. Please don't worry about it; I'm sorry I brought it up." I hastened to get back to work, but I felt Elea's sympathetic look.

Elea's work became more and more well known as she improved. Shortly after our discussion about my schooling, Elea was sent for to work at the castle as a Royal Seamstress. We were both overjoyed; we would surely be free from poverty if she took the job offer. Our joy subsided, however, when we realized the request made no mention of me. Her quarters would be small, and there would not be enough room for a now-sixteen-year-old. I was forced to stay behind. 

The neighbors looked after me, but I felt like such a bother to them. My own business as a seamstress was failing, and I couldn't help out enough. 

For weeks after, I was forced to give up my occupation as a seamstress, and I did all I could to help my neighbors with the cleaning, cooking, looking after their children, etc. I soon grew bored and restless, however. 

My days of unhappiness ended when I received a letter from Elea. It said the following:

"My dear Alenamra,

My work here is challenging, but it brings in quite a lot of money. Already, I have made enough money to send you to school! There's a school for girls in ---, and if you would like to go, send me notice and I'll begin the preperations!

Much love,

Elea."

I squealed with delight, jumping around with ecstasy. "I'm going to school!" I cried to Lady Rayla, the lady of the household in which I was staying. "I'm going to school!"

She laughed, hugging me. "I'm happy for you, Alenamra. I'm sure you'll have a marvelous time."

And that, Reader, is how my story begins. 


	3. Chapter Two

**Prettyinpinkgal: People are still reading this story, so thank you! Please review and enjoy.**

**On another note, thank goodness the Document Editor is working correctly again!  
**

**Disclaimer: "Sharewood Academy" is based slightly off of the movie "Game Over" or whatever the title is. I think watching that movie spurred on my nightmare.**

**SHAREWOOD ACADEMY  
**

**CHAPTER TWO**

My journey was far, and the travel was tedious. I sighed impatiently on more than one occasion, and grew restless. I tried to occupy myself by sewing, but only ended up pricking myself when we hit a bump in the road. I tried reading from an old book I've had for quite a while, one of the few things we did not sell, but it was too hard to focus on the words when it was constantly vibrating with the uneven ground.

Eventually, I consented to simply watching the passing scenery.

It was about a week until we reached our destination: Sharewood Academy. It was far from any town or even a farm, but it was a school, and I was thrilled.

The coachman helped me down, and I gazed at my new home. I would most likely stay for only a couple years, but I was still so excited, wondering what sort of new life awaited me beyond the doors.

Needless to say, Sharewood was not the type of place I had expected. As it was an academy for young ladies, I didn't expect it to look as pleasant as my old elegant home, but the appearance of my new home was enough to make me shiver involuntarily.

It had but four hundred students, and only one tutor, a certain Mistress Eyme. Still, the academy was large enough to easily hold a couple thousand people to my guess, and it was dark enough to frighten me. It seemed as though a house from one of those dark novels some girls my age read secretly.

" 'Ere, miss. Careful with 'em, now," the coachman told me, handing me my two rather small bags.

"Thank you," I replied, and I watched him ride off the way we had come.

I breathed in deeply, then turned back to Sharewood Academy. I gasped when I saw faces in one of the windows, looking pale and ghastly, almost as if they were ghosts. I then calmed down, thinking, _For goodness sakes, it's just the window. They're just students curious to see who the newcomer is, that's all._

I walked up to the large doors which were double my size. Knocking, I suddenly felt very small. Coyotes howled to the moon that was beginning to appear. "Please answer now," I found myself whispering anxiously.

As if I was heard, the doors creaked open. A woman of about fifty or sixty stood before me. Her hair was raven black, and her eyes were just as dark. "Hello there," she said presently. "I presume you are Alenamra Furuo?"

"I am."

She smiled. "I am Mistress Eyme. Please, come in. I'm sure you are quite tired from your journey."

I grinned in return, pleased that the woman looking after me seemed perfectly amiable. "Thank you very much."

The inside of Sharewood was as forboding as its exterior, but I was no longer frightened. If the teacher was this kind, surely there was nothing to fear.

Mistress Eyme continued, telling me, "It is time for supper. I'll show you to your room so you may lay down your bags, and then you may join us in the dining hall."

My room was shared by twenty other girls my age. I was impressed with its enormous size. The room was decored simply, and the beds were not exactly designed for comfort, but I was excited to be with so many girls my age.

"Many of these girls are orphaned, or were cast off because their families were too poor to keep them. They have been sent here to live. To tell the truth, only a handful of girls are here because they want to learn, like you," I was informed by my teacher.

"Oh, how sad," I replied honestly.

"Yes. Now, set your bags down; this will be your bed. There you are, now I'll show you were the dining hall is. Pardon the shabby look of our academy; as you can imagine, a school for girls does not have nearly as much funding as a school for boys."

I followed her through the winding hallways. I wondered how I should ever find my way around.

"And this is the hall where we eat," Mistress Eyme said presently, leading me into a room large enough to be mistaken for a room from the castle.

The students had been whispering before it was noticed we had entered, but once it was acknowledged, the room grew almost deathly still.

"Girls," the headmistress announced in a calm voice that contained great authority, "this is the new student, Alenamra Furuo. I expect you all to treat her with as much courtesy as you can muster."

"Hello, Miss Furuo," the girls said in unison in voices almost as soft as a whisper.

"Um, you can just call me Alenamra," I replied, blushing a bit from the attention.

Mistress Eyme told me, "Enjoy yourself. I must fill out some paperwork now, so feel free to make yourself at home. I look forward to your stay here, Alenamra."

"Thank you." I curstied for good measure, but she was gone before I stood up straight again, closing the door behind her.

One of the girls my age approached me. Her face was as pale as the faces I had seen in the window, and this time there was no window to blame it on. "My name is Rhysan. It's nice to meet you," she whispered with a halfhearted smile.

"It's nice to meet you too. Would you mind terribly if I sat with you? I have no where else to sit."

No, she told me, she wouldn't mind in the slightest. She led me passed all the pairs of eyes to two empty seats in the middle of the room.

Not a soul spoke. We took food from the center of the table and ate, but the supply was almost pathetic. "Is this all we eat?" I asked Rhysan.

"Yes," she answered with a whisper.

"Why are we being so quiet?" I whispered back.

A pause. Then she replied in a softer tone, almost so I could not hear her, "She can still see us."

"Who, a ghost?" I asked, taking it as a joke.

She only looked at me, having the appearance of a ghost herself. Finally, she answered, "Mistress Eyme."

_Goodness_, I thought, dumbfounded. _The girls here are mad!_

"Mistress Eyme is a perfectly ordinary headmistress, Rhysan. You must be paranoid," I told her in a normal voice, and continued eating. A few minutes later, the headmistress herself walked in. "Rhysan. May I speak with you for a moment?" Her tone was entirely pleasant.

I glanced at Rhysan, ready to tell her it's just a coincidence, but Rhysan had gone even paler. She looked meaningfully at me, her eyes wide with terror. Then she got up and left.

The doors closed, and the silence burst into whispers. "She can't see us now," a girl near me told me quietly. "Not when she's hurting someone."

A sickening feeling overwhelmed me for a moment. Here I had thought school would be so fun.

* * *

It was not until bedtime that Rhysan returned. Her face had bloody marks, she had two black eyes, and black and blue marks were all over her body. She walked slowly, brokenly, towards what I understood was her bed.

"What happened?" I asked with a terrified gasp.

All the girls looked at me. "Mistress Eyme. Mistress Eyme happened," one whispered near my ear.

"Why would she do such a thing?"

"Because she's either possessed by the devil, or simply mad," another whispered to me.

"Or perhaps she's the devil himself, in the guise of a woman," yet another told me quietly.

I shook my head in disbelief. "I cannot accept this."

"Accept it or not, it is the truth. Goodnight, Alenamra."

The candles were then blown out, the darkness crushing each and every one of us.

* * *

The next morning, class started. I brushed off yesterday's events, sure that Mistress Eyme had not hurt a hair on Rhysan's head. _Mistress Eyme has been nothing but kind. Who am I to suspect such cruelty? There must be some other explanation._

This being thought, I slid into my chair behind a large wooden desk. "Good morning, class," Mistress Eyme greeted as she walked in.

Around me, everyone stood. I quickly jumped up and followed the others as they said, "Good morning to you, Mistress Eyme."

"You may be seated."

Class started as I imagined any school class would start. My heart thumped wildly in my chest, excitement pulsing through my veins. I was eager to learn, eager to please. I raised my hand for any question I knew the answer to.

The nightmare started when there came a question no one knew the answer to.

"Who was our first king's queen?" our teacher asked.

Not a peep.

"Anyone?"

Silence.

"Miss Wugru?"

A girl speaks up. "I-I'm not sure, madam."

"You're not...sure." A muscle in Mistress Eyme's jaw twitched.

"I'm so sorry!" the girl squeaked, trying to slide further into her seat.

"Sit up straight!" barked Mistress Eyme, startling me.

"Yes, ma'am!"

The teacher eyed each student. No one dared move, not even the younger girls. Everyone had their eyes open wide, and I snuck a glance and saw that the smaller students looked ready to cry.

"Miss Furuo!"

I quickly averted my eyes to look at Mistress Eyme. She had an almost crazed look in her eyes. "You've been answering the questions so faithfully today. You should know this one."

I hear myself whisper, "I'm very sorry. I do not know the answer."

The silence that followed was quickly broken by the wailing of a girl not even ten years old. The girls around her tried to silence her, but to no avail. Mistress Eyme whirled on her.

"MARKA!" she shrieked like a madwoman. _Then again_, I thought numbly, _perhaps she was_.

I could only watch in shocked horror as our teacher grabbed the little girl by the hair and pulled her out of her seat, causing the poor thing to only shriek more. "YOU SHALL STAY OUTSIDE UNTIL EVENING!" screamed the teacher, slapping the child.

It was pouring rain outside.

It was only seven o'clock.

The girl came back in once the sunset, ill with a terribly high fever.

She nearly died that night.

The next morning, Mistress Eyme acted as if yesterday's incident had not happened.

The little girl had to come to class, for if she laid in bed, Mistress Eyme would get angry again.

And that was just the beginning.


End file.
